William c



w. c. BAKER.

Steam Radiator.

No. 33,211.; Patented April 21.1863.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. BAKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

- IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM RADIATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,211, dated April 21,1863.

T 0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. BAKER, of New York, county and State ofNew York, have invented a new Mode of Supplying the Coils ofSteam-Heating Apparatuses; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to that kind of steamheati'ng apparatus in whichthe steam from a boiler is conducted to a steam coil, which heats theair cming in contact with its external surface, and from which thecondensed steam flows back to the boiler; and my invention has for itsobject a new mode of feeding or supplying the coil with steam andreturning the condensed steam to the boiler, whereby the return-pipeusually employed is dispensed with.

Previous to my invention it has been customary to use one pipe to conveythe steam from the boiler to the coil, and another pipe to conduct thecondensed steam from the coil back to the boiler. In large buildingsthis renders the apparatus very complicated, and in all cases a greatquantity of pipe and labor is requisite. It is obviously, then, a greatdesideratum to construct this kind of steam heating apparatus with onlyone pipe to convey the steam to the coil, and also carry the condensedsteam (or water) back to the boiler, and apparatuses have been put upwith one pipe connected to the lower side or tube of the coil butpractice has shown that an apparatus so arranged will not Worksatisfactorily, because the condensed Water cannot flow back freelyagainst the pressure of the steam, as I will presently explain. (Ofcourse the steam-pipe could not be connected to the top of the coil thecondensed steam falling to the bottom would never get out.)

My invention consists in connecting the steam-supply pipe to both theupper and lower tubes of the coil, substantially as hereinafterexplained, whereby the condensed steam in the coil receives an equalpressure from all directions, and will freely descend through the (same)supply-pipe to the boiler, as hereinafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich is given an elevation of an ordinary upright boiler and asteam-coil, (such as usually employed with two pipes,) showing myimprovement.

A is the boiler. B is the steam-pipe through which the steam isconducted from the boiler A to the coil, which is made, in the usualway, of a number of tubes, 0 c c, 860., connected together, as shown, bythe return-bands d d, 850., forming a continuous passage for the steamback and forth till it reaches the end of lower tube at b, where thecircuit is completed.

f is the automatic air valve or tube usually employed, which is soconstructed that when the steam enters the coil the air in the latterwill be forced to escape through said tube f but as soon as the steamreaches said tube f its valve is closed byexpansion of metal and nosteam can escape from the-coil. This apparatus or instrument isfamiliarly known in the art, and need not be particularly described byme here. This instrument f is generally placed at one end of the coil,(the end opposite to that at which the steam enters.) I place it nearthe center of the coil because I introduce the steam at both ends ofcoil.

0 is the ordinary cook or valve for admitting the steam to or shuttingit off from the coil.

As my invention relates only to the mode of combining the steam-pipe andcoil so as to dispense with the return-pipe, I have not drawn ordescribed the boiler apparatus in detail, but have only shown theconnection between aboiler and coil.

I have before mentioned that attempts have been made to dispense withthe return-pipe by connecting the steam-pipe to the lower tube of thecoil. I have illustrated this arrangement by the dotted lines in thedrawings, 1) representing the steam-pipe coming from the boiler andconnected, as shown, to the lower tube only of the coil. To employ thismode of arrangement it is necessary to give the tubes 0 a a much greaterpitch or degree of inclination (which is quite objectionable, takingmore room) to even approximate a working condition in the apparatus; butwith an increased pitch of the tubes 0 c it is found that the condensedsteam or water will not readily flow back against the steam, and theconsequence is the, water forming in the tubes 0 prevents theirbeingraised to the sametemperature they would attain were the condensed steamquickly out of the coil and back to the boiler, and the carried off fromthe tubes 0, and, beside, when the steam is shut off the water in thetubes will freeze and burst them. In other words, practice demonstratesthe fact that the steam entering in one direction the coil the waterformed by condensation will not readily get apparatus is so defectiveand liable to accident that the addition of a return-pipe in the usualmanner is more desirable.

In my new arrangement Irun the steam-sup ply pipe B up by the end of thecoil and connect it to both the upper and lower tubes of the latter at aand b. When the cock 0 is turned, the steam enters the lower and toptubes of the coil about simultaneously, the air escapes at f, (in theusual way,) and the coil is perfectly filled with steam. Now, it will beobserved that by connecting the coil at both ends to the steampipe B allthe condensed steam which may be in or is formed in the coil will flowdown to the lowest part of the coil with the slightest inclination ofthe tubes 0 0, because the steam investing the coil from both ends ofthe latter any body of condensed steam in the coil will be, relative tothe steam pressure, in equt'libm'o, and will by the law of fluids andits specific gravity seek the lowest part of the coil and run out of itblack to the boiler. Thus I make the apparatus as perfect in itsoperation and heating capacity as though two pipes were employedone tosupply the steam to the coil and another to carry 011' the condensedsteamand save all the expenses of the return-pipe. In fact, my inventionembraces even advantages not found in the apparatuses now employed withtwo pipesviz., by the introduction of the steam at both ends of the coilthe latter is kept at a more even and higher average temperaturethroughout its entire length than when steam is supplied only to oneend; and in my apparatus, where this is only the steam-pipe, there isless liability of freezing than where there is a great extent ofreturnpipe, (in large buildings especially) which chills soon as thesteam is shut off from the coils.

Having sufficiently explained my invention to enable those skilled inthe art to make and use it, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- Conveying the steam from the boiler to the coil andthe condensed steam from the coil to the boiler through one pipe, asdescribed, by combining said pipe with both ends of .the coil,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 11th day'of March, 1862.

WM. 0. BAKER. [n 8.]

In presence of WM. LEE, WM. M. FARRINGTON.

